What do you need to stay legal with your website?
If you've got a website or are thinking of creating one for your business, it's essential to make sure that you have all of the legal documents in place.
Depending on where you are located and what it is you do on your website, some legal requirements might include a privacy policy, terms and conditions, income disclaimer, and affiliate disclaimer. Many business owners don't realize this, but these documents are essential for protecting your website and yourself.
Read on to learn more about why each of these documents is important and how to create them.
A Website Privacy Policy:
A legal website needs a privacy policy that discloses how you collect, use, and share personal information with others. For example: "We may collect your email address when you sign up for our newsletter." This policy should also include an explanation of cookies and how they work on the site.
Terms of Service or Terms and Conditions:
This legal document lives on your website and outlines the rules and regulations that users must adhere to when using your site. It's essentially an agreement between you and visitors and it can also be used to protect yourself from legal liability or disputes. For example: "By visiting this site, you agree not to steal any of my content."
Income Disclaimer:
Your website also needs to have an income disclaimer that states your financial results are not guaranteed to be legally protected and compliant. For example: "Any statements made on this site do not represent typical earnings." This policy helps protect you in case someone decides they're unhappy with their financial situation and tries suing you because of what happened to them while using your website/services offered.
Affiliate Disclaimer:
If you choose to include affiliate links anywhere on your website you will need to disclose those links and you are required legally to have an affiliate disclaimer notice above the first affiliate link on each page. For example: "This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on them and make a purchase, we will receive a commission at no additional cost to you." You’ll see an example of this in this blog post as I’ll share some affiliate links below.
Resources for Legal Website Templates and Policies:
Here are the best and top-recommended resources for legal website templates:
The Contract Shop*
The Legal Paige*
Your Legal BFF*
The Creative Law Shop (Use my code MICHELLEPONTVERT10 at checkout for 10% off your order!)
Final Thoughts
A legal website is essential for protecting both you and your business from legal worries. In this blog post, I shared why each legal document is important and how to find or purchase a template that will work for you. I hope that you found these tips helpful in making your website legal!
